When we polled readers on which quarterback they think will wind up having the most success in the NFL, the one name I didn’t expect to receive the majority of the votes was Tim Tebow.

I’ve been vocal with my opinion on the Broncos’ decision to trade three draft picks for Tebow in the first round of last month’s draft. First and foremost, I think Tebow is a massive project and to give up three picks (a second, a third and a fourth) in order to trade back into the first round and select him wasn’t wise on Denver’s part. (Especially after they traded for Brady Quinn in the offseason and still have an unspectacular, but effective Kyle Orton on the roster.)

But regardless of whether or not you liked the trade for the Broncos, Tebow is remains the biggest boom or bust quarterback in the 2010 draft class. He is extremely coachable and works very hard on his craft, but he will likely need years of schooling before he can become a NFL quarterback. He still has a long way to go with his mechanics and he’s behind the 8-ball because he didn’t play in a pro style offense at Florida. Athletically he’s ready to play now, but there have already been a handful of scouts, coaches and GMs that have said in so many words that they wouldn’t stake their careers on him being a quarterback.

The only reasons I can come up with that Tebow received the most votes is a) readers expect the Broncos to succeed more than the Rams, Browns and Panthers, and therefore like Tebow to succeed, b) readers believe he’ll eventually wind up playing another position, c) we have a lot of Gator fans on the site or, d) a lot of chicks stumbled onto the poll. Because when you compare the four quarterbacks, Tebow is by far the riskiest of the quartet so why did he receive most of the votes?

Let’s look at the other three QBs, shall we?

Sam Bradford – has the most physical tools of any of the four quarterbacks, although he also plays for the worst team so his stock takes a hit. Still, if we’re comparing natural quarterback talent, Bradford holds the edge.

Jimmy Clausen – doesn’t have a real strong arm, but he’s the most NFL-ready after playing three years for Charlie Weis at Notre Dame. Plus, if he does wind up starting sooner rather than later, the Panthers have an outstanding running game and a receiver in Steve Smith to help take a lot of the pressure of Clausen’s shoulders.

Colt McCoy – has the weakest arm of the bunch, but is a great fit for the West Coast Offense and there is zero pressure on him to start right away.

With that in mind, I would have chosen any one of those three over Tebow (I voted for Bradford) and would be interested to see why most of our readers went with the Florida product.